Ten in a row: Crowder defeats State Fair 85-73

The Crowder Lady 'Riders basketball team has had to overcome plenty of adversity during their recent nine-game winning streak. Wednesday was no exception as they overcame plenty to scoot past State Fair 85-73 in overtime.

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By Levi Payton

Neosho Daily News - Neosho, MO

By Levi Payton

Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 10:49 PM
Updated Feb 13, 2013 at 10:51 PM

By Levi Payton

Posted Feb. 13, 2013 at 10:49 PM
Updated Feb 13, 2013 at 10:51 PM

SEDALIA, Mo. — The Crowder Lady 'Riders basketball team has had to overcome plenty of adversity during their recent nine-game winning streak. Wednesday was no exception as they overcame plenty to scoot past State Fair 85-73 in overtime.

Pushing its win streak to 10 games, and moving their overall record to 23-4 this season came with its sacrifices, however. Already without standout sophomore Veronica Amos, the Lady 'Riders lost sophomore point guard Sarah Sagely nine minutes into the game with an injury.

Sagely didn't return to action and finished with no points. Meanwhile, fellow sophomore Terai Sadler found herself on the bench in foul trouble for several minutes.

But through it all, the Lady 'Riders overcame adversity. As special teams often tend to do, their bench came up big with seven players scoring in the game, which allowed them to come back from a second half deficit.

After leading 34-31 at the half, Crowder fell behind in the second half, but continued to claw back. Trailing 71-68 with 45 seconds left, Sadler scored a basket and was fouled on the play. She completed the three-point play by sinking a free throw to tie it at 71, and that would be the score at the end of regulation.

Then the Lady 'Riders dominated. Their defense stepped up and held State Fair to no points until the final 13.5 seconds of overtime, as Crowder won the extra period, 14-2.

"I was very proud of the kids tonight, because they could have folded and given in," Crowder coach Tina Robbins said. "They just kept fighting back and battling."